Our Rabbis

Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch

Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch is the founding rabbi and spiritual leader of Mekor Habracha. Under his leadership, Mekor has grown into one of Philadelphia's most vibrant Orthodox communities, strengthening Jewish life throughout Center City through inspiring services, Torah learning, and community building.

Rabbi Hirsch serves as Director and local halachic advisor of the Center City Eruv and as Rabbinic Administrator of IKC Center City Kosher Certification, helping expand kosher options throughout downtown Philadelphia. He has also guided dozens of Orthodox conversions through the Philadelphia Beis Din and RCA-affiliated batei dinim and, together with the Mekor community, played a leading role in establishing the community mikvah.

Rabbi Hirsch has made support for Israel a defining value of Mekor. In recognition of his advocacy, he received the 2019 Guardian of Israel Award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the Zionist Organization of America.

Rabbi Hirsch received semicha from Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Yeshivas Ohr Reuven. He also serves as Dean of Jewish Philosophy at Genesis University and is the author of three books:

Through his writing and teaching, he demonstrates the Torah's enduring relevance to contemporary Jewish life.

Rabbi Hirsch and his wife, Miriam, have made Center City their home and remain deeply committed to strengthening Jewish life in Philadelphia.

You can access Rabbi Hirsch's Substack here. You can reach him at rabbiehirsch@mekorhabracha.org.

Rabbi Steven Gotlib

Rabbi Steven Gotlib is Associate Rabbi at Mekor Habracha/Center City Synagogue and Director of the Center City Beit Midrash. Rabbi Gotlib studied Communication, Jewish Studies, and Philosophy at Rutgers University before receiving rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University (RIETS), a Certificate in Mental Health Counseling from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in partnership with RIETS, and a START Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship from the Glean Network in partnership with Columbia Business School.

Rabbi Gotlib previously served as Interim Rabbi at Young Israel of Ottawa, Assistant Rabbi at the Village Shul/Aish HaTorah Learning Centre in Toronto, a Community Scholar at Beit Midrash Zichron Dov of Toronto, and Head of the Beit Midrash Program at Congregation Shearith Israel: The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City.

As a RIETS student, he held rabbinic internships at Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob of Albany and at Yeshiva University's Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought while working as Webmaster and Social Media Manager for The Lehrhaus.

A popular guest speaker throughout the US and Canada, Rabbi Gotlib's writings can be read in the Lehrhaus, Jewish Action, Tradition Online, 18Forty, and more. He has contributed to several volumes, including Who by Plague: High Holy Days Sermons from COVID19 Times (Hamotzi Press, 2021), Nothing so Whole as a Broken Heart: Reflections for the Days of Awe (Izzun Books, 2024), A Quest for Our Times: The Louis Jacobs Haggadah (Izzun Books, 2025), and The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Law (Oxford University Press, 2025).

He strongly believes in making Jewish theology, philosophy, and law as accessible as possible to all who seek guidance and comfort within our tradition.

Read Rabbi Gotlib's Substack for more of his writing.

Rabbi Gotlib lives in Center City with his wife, Ruth Malkah Rohde, and their daughter Zeriza. He can be reached at rabbisgotlib@mekorhabracha.org.

Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch

Rabbi Hirsch received semicha from Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Yeshivas Ohr Reuven. He also serves as Dean of Jewish Philosophy at Genesis University and is the author of three books:

Through his writing and teaching, he demonstrates the Torah's enduring relevance to contemporary Jewish life.

Rabbi Hirsch and his wife, Miriam, have made Center City their home and remain deeply committed to strengthening Jewish life in Philadelphia.

You can access Rabbi Hirsch's Substack here. You can reach him at rabbiehirsch@mekorhabracha.org.

Rabbi Steven Gotlib

He strongly believes in making Jewish theology, philosophy, and law as accessible as possible to all who seek guidance and comfort within our tradition.

Read Rabbi Gotlib's Substack for more of his writing.

Rabbi Gotlib lives in Center City with his wife, Ruth Malkah Rohde, and their daughter Zeriza. He can be reached at rabbisgotlib@mekorhabracha.org.